Illinois fires Lovie Smith / hires Bret Bielema

[lincolncuse]

Bert is back

 

[FrancoPizza]

For someone who has 69 in their name you aren’t really nice

Is there a connection between a person’s sexual proclivities and how nice they are?

 

[sufandu]

Bielema is an interesting choice. He had really good success at Wisconsin.

 

[FloridaFan]

Is there a connection between a person’s s e xual proclivities and how nice they are?

It was a joke about how when people see the number 69 they say nice.

 

[FrancoPizza]

It was a joke about how when people see the number 69 they say nice.

Guess I’m too old and missed that

 

[Briancuse]

Great hire he never should have went to Arkansas he's a Big Ten guy.

 

[sufandu]

Great hire he never should have went to Arkansas he's a Big Ten guy.

I read that one reason he left Wisconsin was because he couldn't get as much money for his assistants as he wanted.

 

[orangepassion]

Thanks for staying away from Leipold

 

[SU94]

Bilema is a meathead frat bro.
He has a reputation.
He did a good job at Wisconsin rolling with the foundation Barry Alvarez laided down.

Wisconsin is better hands with Chryst than Bilema it’s just Ohio State woke up.

I don’t think Bilema is that great a coach.

The coaching records of Bielema and Chyst are essentially equal during their tenures in Madison. Bielema won two B10 titles and shared another. Chryst has not. BTW, Ohio State was plenty awake during Bielema’s Wisconsin tenure, outside of 2011. It’s your perception that they weren’t, but the reality was that Wisconsin/Bielema was almost as good as the Buckeyes/Tressel.

And one could reasonably argue that Chryst has done a nice job rolling with the foundation laid by Bielema. Right?

 

[CU44SE]

Home run hire for illinois. They were not getting a leopold or similar. Bielema had great success at Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a better job, but its his natural recruiting area, similar weather and similar style offenses. Probably the best Illinois could have gotten. As others have said, Bielema was not an SEC guy. This is more his style, and I think Illinois did a great job getting him and not overthinking it.

Im starting to realize, and this took a while, but its really important when hiring, to hire someone with connections in that area. As much as Recruiting is national, you need to be able to hammer the areas around the school. Coaches that move from coast to coast or a large distance, just do not seem to do very well.

 

[CousCuse]

Home run hire for illinois. They were not getting a leopold or similar. Bielema had great success at Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a better job, but its his natural recruiting area, similar weather and similar style offenses. Probably the best Illinois could have gotten. As others have said, Bielema was not an SEC guy. This is more his style, and I think Illinois did a great job getting him and not overthinking it.

Im starting to realize, and this took a while, but its really important when hiring, to hire someone with connections in that area. As much as Recruiting is national, you need to be able to hammer the areas around the school. Coaches that move from coast to coast or a large distance, just do not seem to do very well.

If you take a job on the SEC west and it's not at Bama, LSU or A&M, where you going?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[sufandu]

Seems like he should've moved to a coordinator position again by now, if he had the chops to do it.

 

[corpjet]

I just cringe when I hear the name George McDonald...ugh

at least he's out of the ACC now......

 

[sutomcat]

This move was driven by the huge TV revenues the B1G schools are getting. McDonald took a step down in responsibility to make more money. Also went to a worse program. For many coaches, money talks.

It is why Justin Ludwig took the job at lowly Vanderbilt. Same thing, SEC schools are rolling in TV revenue money and are trying to buy wins by hiring top notch coaches from schools that cannot pay what they can.

Hokie Mark pointed out that the next 'look in' on the ESPN-ACC TV contract is in 2021. I hope ESPN is willing to help address the huge imbalance in the money they pay the ACC vs the SEC and the B1G.

If you want exciting games and high interest in college sports, you need to have at least somewhat of a level playing field. Paying some conferences double what you pay others hurts college sports.

 

[orangepassion]

This move was driven by the huge TV revenues the B1G schools are getting. McDonald took a step down in responsibility to make more money. Also went to a worse program. For many coaches, money talks.

It is why Justin Ludwig took the job at lowly Vanderbilt. Same thing, SEC schools are rolling in TV revenue money and are trying to buy wins by hiring top notch coaches from schools that cannot pay what they can.

Hokie Mark pointed out that the next 'look in' on the ESPN-ACC TV contract is in 2021. I hope ESPN is willing to help address the huge imbalance in the money they pay the ACC vs the SEC and the B1G.

If you want exciting games and high interest in college sports, you need to have at least somewhat of a level playing field. Paying some conferences double what you pay others hurts college sports.

He's also moving to his Alma Mater, which could have been a factor. Dream job?

 

[SkyTopBus44]

Seems like he should've moved to a coordinator position again by now, if he had the chops to do it.

That article mentioning how he determined the best play call was not something that I would think would inspire confidence and the opportunity to be an offensive coordinator at any level.

 

[richard levy]

Home run hire for illinois. They were not getting a leopold or similar. Bielema had great success at Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a better job, but its his natural recruiting area, similar weather and similar style offenses. Probably the best Illinois could have gotten. As others have said, Bielema was not an SEC guy. This is more his style, and I think Illinois did a great job getting him and not overthinking it.

Im starting to realize, and this took a while, but its really important when hiring, to hire someone with connections in that area. As much as Recruiting is national, you need to be able to hammer the areas around the school. Coaches that move from coast to coast or a large distance, just do not seem to do very well.

"not an SEC guy". i don't know what that means. Was Saban not an Big10 guy, not an SEC guy, or was both.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Bielema is fine but "home run Hire" is a bit much for me.

 

[Hokie Mark]

This move was driven by the huge TV revenues the B1G schools are getting. McDonald took a step down in responsibility to make more money. Also went to a worse program. For many coaches, money talks.

It is why Justin Ludwig took the job at lowly Vanderbilt. Same thing, SEC schools are rolling in TV revenue money and are trying to buy wins by hiring top notch coaches from schools that cannot pay what they can.

Hokie Mark pointed out that the next 'look in' on the ESPN-ACC TV contract is in 2021. I hope ESPN is willing to help address the huge imbalance in the money they pay the ACC vs the SEC and the B1G.

If you want exciting games and high interest in college sports, you need to have at least somewhat of a level playing field. Paying some conferences double what you pay others hurts college sports.

To be fair, the 247 piece says he'll have the same job (WR and assistant head coach) at Illinois that he had at NC State. It is a return to his Alma Mater, and yes, he'll probably get a raise (although NC State isn't exactly known for paying top dollar, even compared to other ACC schools!)

...but the point of your post is correct: at some point the money difference becomes a problem.

 

[sutomcat]

To be fair, the 247 piece says he'll have the same job (WR and assistant head coach) at Illinois that he had at NC State. It is a return to his Alma Mater, and yes, he'll probably get a raise (although NC State isn't exactly known for paying top dollar, even compared to other ACC schools!)

...but the point of your post is correct: at some point the money difference becomes a problem.

He was also passing game coordinator and recruiting coordinator at NC State. Earlier at NC State, he was also their co-offensive coordinator.

We follow his career because he was once OC at Syracuse. It did not go well. He is a fine recruiter and a good WR coach though.

 

[CuseLegacy]

 

[Chip]

I just threw up in my mouth a little.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I just threw up in my mouth a little.

I am shocked he has never gotten another shot as an OC, I mean he puked on himself every saturday

 

[GoSU96]

I am shocked he has never gotten another shot as an OC, I mean he puked on himself every saturday

I think he was co-OC at NCSt for 10 minutes. Eventually got demoted, I believe, and when the other guy left they hired from outside.

That's a lot of broken eggs.